U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israeli leaders to work with moderate Palestinians for a prosperous and safe long-term resolution to the war in Gaza.

Blinken, who was in Israel to meet with leaders on Tuesday, reiterated many of the Biden administration’s stances, including that U.S. officials would like to see the Israeli military take greater steps to protect civilian lives, allow more aid into Gaza, and prevent an expanded conflict in the region.

He said Israel needs to support Palestinian leaders “who are willing to lead their people living side-by-side in peace with Israel,” though the U.S. has proposed a revamped Palestinian Authority, which currently leads the West Bank, and the Israelis do not want to see it govern Gaza.

“Israel must stop taking steps that undercut Palestinians’ ability to govern themselves effectively,” Blinken said. “Extremists’ settler violence carried out with impunity, settlement expansion, demolitions, evictions all make it harder, not easier, for Israel to achieve lasting peace and security.”

The top U.S. diplomat, who met with other regional leaders prior to his stop in Israel, said the Biden administration would support further integration of Israel into the Middle East if such an agreement included a “practical pathway” to a viable Palestinian state.

Saudi Arabia and Israel were on the verge of a diplomatic deal to normalize relations at the time of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, which has put those negotiations on hold. Israel already has formalized ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco in what’s known as the Abraham Accords.

The U.S. has been concerned about comments from far-right Israeli ministers, who have called for Palestinians to be relocated to another location, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that is not the government’s intended policy, Blinken said.

“As I told the prime minister, the United States unequivocally rejects any proposals advocating for the resettlement of Palestinians outside of Gaza, and the prime minister reaffirmed to me today that this is not the policy of Israel’s government,” he said.

Blinken also criticized Israel’s referral to the International Court of Justice for alleged genocide during its war in Gaza.

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“The charge of genocide is meritless,” he said. “It’s particularly galling given that those who are attacking Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, as well as their supporter of Iran, continue to openly call for the annihilation of Israel and the mass murder of Jews.”

Israel has agreed to let the United Nations conduct an assessment mission to begin the process of allowing displaced Palestinians to move back home, the U.S. diplomat added.